


guilded wingfold

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, WIP, dragonstuck, in which the prospit babies are human-dragon hybrids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-08
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-14 08:58:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You were thirteen when it all began.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the voice on the wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the song dirk hears is called the voice - celtic woman

_You were only thirteen when it began._

The ground pounded under your feet as you ran, kicking up the dirt behind your heels. The wind whistled at your ears, blowing against your face. Your shades were the only things stopping your eyes from watering from all the air blowing past your face. You could hear your breath deep in the back of your throat. Trees flew past you as you sped past them; the canopy protected you despite the fogginess ahead of you. The tree trunks were the pillars of this temple, the temple of green and brown and wet leaves, the smell of dew and rain. You dug your heels into the wet earth beneath you and you stopped running as you entered a clearing. You looked up at the sky, the sun hidden behind the foggy, wispy clouds that hung lightly in the air. 

Your name is Dirk Strider, and you knew this was your home. Or at least, you wished it to be that way.

You were currently residing in a small log cabin with your family. Your siblings Dave, Rose and Roxy, your big brother Derrick (everyone just calls him Bro) and his girlfriend, Rachael. You tend to call Rachael your mother because she practically is. She's been there for all of you for as long as you can remember. Roxy and Rose are technically your step-sisters, but you just refer to them as your sisters.  
You were here on your summer vacation, residing in the cabin Rachael owned on the edge of the Caledonian Forest, Scotland. She used to travel a lot in her teens and early 20's, and bought the small piece of land on the edge of civilisation where she could escape to. You loved it here. It was a beautiful contrast from the cityscape, where the sun beated down on you relentlessly and the asphalt pulsed underneath your feet. Here, the wind whispered against your skin and the air smelled of the fresh earth rather than carbon monoxide. Dave didn't like it much. He was raised in the city, same as you, but he doesn't like change. He liked to know where he was safe (his bedroom) and where he could get food (Denny's). But this place was perfect for you.

You sat down in the clearing, under a tree where your ass would get slightly less wet. Note to self: buy pillow for forest-sitting. You pull out a small notebook and a pencil and set them in your lap. You draw. The thoughts in your mind flow through your hand and onto your pen. You make lines, curves, sketches. Your lines sometimes form words. Sometimes they form hands, faces, hair. But they can always be described as little lines of emotion. Every single line means something, you have learned. You just need the driving force and the care to turn it into a piece of creative genius. You find yourself humming a tune, something low and flowing. Long notes and wavy sounds. You were content, the synthesis of the smells, and the pen in your hand, the sounds not only produced from your chest, but the world around you. You were so unbelievably content, you wanted to stay this way forever. You leant your head on the tree trunk that supported your back, and sat there for a while.  
Next thing you knew, you woke up.

The sunset was peeking through the pillars of the forest, providing little splashes of light along the grass where it hit the canopy. You decided to make your way back to the cabin; the guys were probably getting worried about you. You picked up your notebook and pen, sliding them into your pocket. Carefully picking yourself up off the ground with the tree for support, you fixed your hair so the back wasn't flat from the compression of the trunk. You began walking in a south-west direction, remembering your way back from little X marks you'd hacked onto various trees. As you walked back, you could hear voices. You assumed it was just your imagination, but curiosity overcame you, and you listened closer.

_"I am the voice of the past that will always be, filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields..."_

They were singing. It sounded like a girl, not much younger than you. You listened intently, unsure of where the singer was coming from.

_"I am the voice of the future; bring me your peace..."_

Two voices. One a boy, one a girl. They sounded roughly the same age. Their voices were... beautiful. That was the only adjective you could think to describe them as. Beautiful. You can't help but smile as you listen to them. You no longer cared who was singing.  
"Dirk?!"  
You whipped your head around, only to see Rachael Lalonde walking towards you.  
"Where have you been? I was so worried!" she breathed, wrapping arms around you. You sighed with relief, she wasn't mad. You returned her warm hold, before pulling back slightly.  
"I fell asleep in a clearing."  
"I'm just glad you're alright." she replied with a reassuring smile, brushing your fringe out of your face.  
"I... I heard voices just a minute ago. They were singing. A boy and a girl." you told her, looking up to meet her gaze.  
"Singing?" You nodded. "You know, when I came here the first time, I heard singing too. I never found out who the singers were, but my guide told me that there is an ancient myth in this area. They say the singers are dragons. Dragons singing in their everlasting sleep."  
You never really believed in mythology, legends and things like that. You snorted slightly.  
"You sure your guide wasn't high?" you replied jokingly. She chortled and shook her head.  
"Come on. Let's go inside. I'm making beef stew if you want some."

That night, you lay in bed, recalling the voices you heard as you stared out of the open window. The moon was full and bright, and you now saw it through un-lensed eyes. You remembered the way the voices resonated, the way they did in your head now. You remembered the words they sang, even though you weren't really listening to the words. You listened to the sounds, the pitch and the beauty of each voice in their flawless melody echoing through the trees. The mere thought of them lulled you to sleep, a peaceful rest with only a forest surrounding you, and voices singing you into lucidity.

_"I hear your voice on the wind..."_


	2. parsley sage rosemary and thyme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hover over any underlined text to see the translation! (the original text is in Latin)

[ _"Puero dormienti vocibus."_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/835072/chapters/)

Your eyes cracked open slightly, the warm sunrise glowing against your skin. You left the window open the previous evening, letting the curtains billow gently in the breeze. The entire room seemed to be dyed in golden shades as the sun rose. You pulled yourself up, remembering the voices dancing around in your head. They were still singing, but not lyrics. Just sounds, notes and pitches echoing for what felt like miles to you. You rubbed at your dry eyes, sliding your shades on for good measure. The sun never favoured your orange irises.

 _"Good morning, Dirk."_  
You stopped, and turned to your left. Your younger sister was stood in her doorway, wearing a lavender nightgown and a pair of socks. She seemed very innocent at first look, but you knew better. Rose was snarky, and very crafty if she needed to be.  
"You're up early." Wait, what was the time again? You looked up at the clock hanging in the hall. It was about 7:50am. You couldn't remember the last time you'd woken up that early. It was as if something beckoned you from your sleep.  
"I guess my sleeping pattern is just messed up." you replied with a brief shrug. She nodded understandingly.  
"That may also have been the reason why you'd fallen asleep in a clearing a few hours before you came home." So Rachael had told her. Which probably means everyone else knows too. _Roxy's never going to let you live that down. _  
__"Yeah, probably." you sighed, making your way to the kitchen to grab something to eat. She joined you, subtly taking your hand. She was barely 11 years old at the time, and she loved your presence. You let her keep it as you both walked onto the tiles of the kitchen. Your mind, whilst subtly on Rose, you still couldn't take it away from the forest. You had to go back, and soon. You worried that the place might make you go crazy. But you managed to differentiate between insanity and longing as you reached for a couple of juiceboxes. You both drank them as you sat at the bar in the kitchen, making sure Rachael's wine was out of Rose's reach. She always questioned what it was that was so bad about alcohol, and that worried you. As much as you loved Rachael, you didn't want Rose to drink as much as she does. You've seen her on the verge of tears and the edge of breaking your brother's jaw before she regulated her cravings. You don't want your little sister to ever have to go through that. She kicked her legs back and forth at her stool, sipping from the straw. You sigh, letting your mind wander for a few minutes before you get up to get changed.

Half an hour later, and you're running again. You loved to run, it was your body's way of showing you that you could be free. You feel a little bad about setting off without mentioning your motives to anyone, but you guessed Rose knew. Rose would, naturally, tell your mother. You kept running, following the X marks on the pillars of wood surrounding you. Towards the clearing, towards-

_"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?"_

You immediately stopped running. The voice. It was the boy this time. He was singing. You felt it was exclusively to you, so you listened.

_"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."_

You knew this song. Rachael taught it to Roxy, and she sang it to you on the nights when you couldn't sleep. How fitting, you thought. The very song that lulled you to sleep, sung by the people who did the very same thing. You didn't even know they were people. Maybe they were just the voices in the forest, the spirits of the trees. Maybe they were spriggans? Elves? Fairies? Why were you even assuming they were mythical creatures? You didn't believe in myths. They were probably just a couple of kids playing a prank on you.  
...In the middle of the Caledonian Forest.  
Right.  
"H-Hello?" you called, in a somewhat hushed tone. All you received in reply was the rustle of the canopy and the chirping of redwings. You chewed on the inside of your cheek as you scanned the canopy, looking for any sign of the singers. You found nothing. Sighing, you made your way to the clearing, which was fairly close by now.

You sat down back under the tree, when you reached the perfect spot, as you had done the previous day. You brought your knees up to your chest, hugging your shins. And you listened. You rested your chin on your knees, sighing softly as the wind sifted through your hair. You could still hear birds calling in the distance, you assumed they'd woken everyone else up by now. You felt a little lonely without the singing. Maybe you shouldn't have called for them to show themselves. Maybe it was some kind of rhetorical melody, a melody that shouldn't be answered. Maybe they'd just intended it to be background noise for your little adventure? You were definitely overthinking this.

_"Tell her to find me an acre of land..."_

He was close. You could practically feel the boy under your skin. You looked up the tree you were sat under and found nothing.

_"Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme..."_

You suddenly get an idea. You clear your throat, and sing with him.  
 _"Betwixt the salt water and the sea strand..." _you reply, your voice a tad husky, but you didn't really mind. You just hoped he wouldn't be offended or anything.__ _"Then she'll be a true love of mine..."_ He replied. You were worried if you tried to talk to him, you'd upset him because he left before. Instead, you heard a hushed voice.  
"You're different to the others."  
And then as birds flew out of the trees in a flurry, the... whatever he was, was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Puero dormienti vocibus.": "The boy sleeps with the voices."
> 
> song: Scarborough Fair - Simon and Garfunkel (it's an old ass song they just sang it)


	3. reptilian sisters

You don't even remember sleeping.

You bounded into the forest once more, practically leaping out of the window to run to your clearing. You wanted to see this boy with your own two eyes, and maybe the girl if she ever showed herself again. You heard wings around you, crows crying to the breeze. You felt like you were flying on the wind, faster than the crows around him. The morning was cool, but the skies were clear and you could see streaks of soft pink in the sky where the sun stained the blue cover over your head. You were too distracted by just running to notice much else. You couldn't get over the fact that you feel like you would be more content living here rather than smack-bang in the middle of Houston. Every day here felt like a repeat, running down the same path in the same direction, with the same wind rustling your hair and the same leaves crunching underneath the rubber soles of your shoes. You were okay with that. As long as you could stay here forever and listen to the voices of the forest, you were happy. You closed your eyes, feeling the soft breeze whip your hair out of proportion. It suddenly occured to you that, through your haze of forest-induced euphoria, running with closed eyes was a terrible idea. You lost your footing, and fell. Rather than just landing on the ground, you rolled uncontrollably down a small slope, landing in a small pile of leaves. Well, at least your spine is still intact. You hope no one was around to see that.  
"Oh look, a human..." a small voice said. It sounded female, and quiet. Almost monotonous.  
"Can we kill it?" answered another voice. Her voice was much more aggressive. She sounded like she had something to hide.  
"H-hello?" you call to the trees around you. No response. Then a little chuckle.  
"Hey, it talks! So it can't be that stupid... Bet he tastes nice!"  
"Vriska, that's horrible. Aren't we trying to live peacefully?  
"But still..."  
You shivered softly. Is it cold down here? One of the voices drew closer.   
"Hey. Earth-walker." she jeered, the ground crunching around her feet. The voice had a presence. The presence flapped her wings, her tail curled around itself, curling and uncurling in turns. Her dark hair bounced on her shoulders. Her eyes were big, cerulean, and piercing. Her horns sat atop her head like a crown. You were frozen with fear. She could tell. She smiled, her fangs gleaming in the limited morning light.   
"Y-You're a... you're-"  
"Spit it out, landwalker." the dragon woman barked, glaring down at the boy.  
"You're a..." His train of thought was interrupted as the second woman presented herself from the shadows. Her race was obviously the same as the other dragon-woman, except instead of a pale cerulean, she was a rusty crimson. Where the cerulean woman was fearsome, the crimson was gentler. Her horns were curled and ram-like, to match the curls in her long brownish-burgundy hair. You swallowed hard and looked down, just to avoid the gaze of the woman towering above you. You were met with two pairs of reptilian feet, scaly and plated, complete with claws. They were anthromorphic. Another reminder that you definitely weren't in Kansas anymore.  
"Hey, landhugger! Look at me! Do you have any idea who I am?!" the woman yelled at you, spreading her wings as some display of dominance.  
"Of course he doesn't, Vriska. He isn't one of us." the crimson woman interjected, with a soft but assertive voice.  
"Well clearly, Aradia...", she put emphasis on every syllable of her name, "He doesn't know hierachy when he sees it. Stupid earthwalker. I should gut him where he lies!"  
"That's immature and pointless and you know it. Landwalker, identify yourself." Aradia ordered, but not fiercely. Words were dry on your tongue, but you managed to regurgitate your name.  
"Strider. D-Dirk Strider." you replied to the woman, and she nodded softly. "How old are you?"  
"Thirteen." You were more confident with your words now. "Fourteen in December."  
"See, Vriska? He's but a child. We should leave him be. Erase his memory, perhaps." Aradia responded to the other, but Vriska just snorted.  
"Who caaaaaaaares if he's a kid? He's annoying. All of these damned earthlovers are."  
You began slowly backing off, on your hands and feet. Pushing your body away from them was your number-one priority at this point. The cerulean one noticed, growling at you. Before Aradia could intervene, Vriska was coming for you, all teeth and horns, sharp edges with no mercy.

The last thing you heard was the flapping of large wings and a scream that may have been your own.


	4. jake

It was never a scream. It wasn't you, either.  
It was more of a cry of victory, really.

Your eyes were closed tight. You could feel wind at your face and you could hear the soft yet powerful sound of large wings beating against the air carrying them. You couldn't hear the two dragon girls anymore, for that you were grateful. It finally dawned on you that you could feel arms, hands. Supporting you at your back and behind your knees. The being was carrying you... were they flying?

You opened your eyes. You looked down.  
You instantly regretted it.

Below you was the Caledonian Forest from bird's eye view. Your feet were huge compared to the pine trees far below you. You were too shocked and terrified to even scream. Had you been abducted? Had Vriska decided to carry you away to her lair? You look to the form above you. It was a boy, no older than you. Maybe a little older? He had thick brownish hair, that looked slightly green. He had dark skin, his face defined with emerald green triangular markings. What struck you was the bright yellow eyes that housed the deep green irises focused on the horizon. His hands were greenish, scaly, and definitely strong. The large wings beated above the both of you, keeping you elevated. _How strong was this guy anyway? ___  
"You still with us?" His voice made you jump. His accent was something you were quite unfamiliar with. You hadn't heard it in all the mainstream media you consumed.  
"Erm. Yes?" you replied, somewhat awkwardly.  
"Vriska nearly had you there. Lucky I came in to save the day. Are you impressed?" the dragon asked, casually. You were speechless. So many questions.  
"I'm Jake, by the way. At least, you can call me that. You probably wouldn't be able to pronounce my full name. The others just tend to call me Jake anyway. Like a pet name, you know?" Jake told you, "You are?"  
You lay there in his arms, gaping like a goldfish. _What were you even supposed to say? ___  
"I guess you're not used to be so high up in the air, huh? Like the view? Also, close your mouth. You'll catch flies." Jake grinned at you.  
You closed your mouth eventually, gathering your senses.  
"Er, Jake. Can you put me down now, please?" you ask, quite timidly. You feared that ticking this dragon off would make him drop you and carry on his merry journey.  
"Oh, yeah, sure. Just let me-" And he trailed off, closing his eyes. His wings stopped flapping, and you went into freefall.  
 _He did NOT just pass out. ___  
You clung to the dragon boy as you both spiralled out of control. Was it the altitude- no it wasn't the fucking altitude, he's a dragon.  
"Jake?! Jake!!" you shook him by the shoulders, trying to get him to regain consciousness, but to no avail. You grabbed him like a lifeline- which he no longer was- and screamed. Screamed as if you were that guy from the X Men who could scream and create soundwaves that made him fly. Or something. The ground was rising up to meet you at a sickening pace. Just as you said your final prayers and closed your eyes tight, Jake spread his wings and corkscrewed back up into the air, taking you by surprise. He was awake. And laughing like a hyena on helium.  
"You prick!!" you yelled at him, "The fuck's the matter with you?!"  
"Oh, Dirk. Your knees are shaking." Jake grinned.  
"OF COURSE THEY FUCKING ARE!!!"  
"Calm down. The girls might come after us if you shout that loud. I'm surprised they haven't already." Jake sighed, holding in a grin as if he found your anger a little comical.  
"Can you put me back on the ground now?!" you demanded. He rolled his eyes, beginning his descent.

_____"Oh, ground. Sweet precious ground." ___you lay down on the floor once you had landed, savouring the solidity beneath your feet. You took a moment to scope out where he'd landed, and how long it would takt to get home- if you could find your way. He'd placed you in the clearing.  
"How did you-"  
"You've heard the voices, haven't you?" Jake asked. _He knew. ___  
"I have. Was it you?" you replied, but he just shook his head.  
"It was dragons. But it wasn't me. I've got a pretty good idea of who, though." Jake mused, whipping his tail absentmindedly against the grass.  
"Well?"  
"Probably my sister. But listen- no one can know we exist here. Well, maybe you can. I trust you. You seem pretty okay."  
You rolled your eyes- you didn't trust him very much. But then again, he did save you...  
"Sure. My lips are sealed. Top secret dragon populace and all that." you sarcastically noted.  
"Good." Jake smiled, and it was sincere. "You know, I've never met a human before."  
"Likewise. You don't look too different to me, I guess." you sympathised with the dragon. "I have sisters too, and brothers."  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah. Roxy, my big sister. Rose, my little sister. Dave my little brother, and my bro. Older brother. I have my mom too." you realised you sounded confusing. Jake tilted his head in confusion.  
"So you have a two brothers, two sisters, and a mother?" Jake questioned.  
"Well. Adoptive mother. Bro is technically our father, but he's our brother. So, guardian I guess? Or maybe Rach is our big sister?" you started to question yourself, sitting down in the damp grass. Jake joined you.  
"So you have three sisters-"  
"No no, hang on. Erm... What even IS Rachael's relation to me? I guess she and Bro are a thing... but they're not at the same time..." you itched your head.  
"Okay, okay, hang on. Slow down, I'm lost." Jake waved his arms about.  
"Right. Rose and Roxy are Rachael's kids who she had with her past lover. Good?"  
"Good."  
"Okay. Me, Dave and Bro our are parents' kids. Bro's like, the same age as Rach. The got together to be the guardians of the four of us."  
"Okay, that makes more sense. Just one thing?" Jake asked.  
"Hm?"  
"What about your parents?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh cliffhangers!!! 
> 
> so much backstory


	5. parents and the lalonde

_You knew he was going to ask eventually. ___  
"They ain't with us anymore." you replied, plain and simple.  
"Oh." Jake's face dropped. "I'm sorry."  
"S'alright. I never really knew them. Bro did, though." you looked away from the dragon next to you, fiddling with a wet leaf sticking to the side of your shoe.  
"...do you mind if I ask how they died?" Jake asked, understandably gentle with his approach.  
"Mom died after giving birth to Dave. She had a rough time with me, and Dave made it worse. She bled out." you explained. You weren't saddened by it all that much, as insensitive as it sounded. You never really knew her, and had no memory of your parents. It was always your Bro. After a short pause, you continued.  
"Dad stayed with us for another 3 months. We were in debt without Mom, and he had to deal with all of the bills. She was a doctor when she was alive, so she made most of the money in our house. Bro was working in a supermarket, he was still in college. Dad couldn't deal with it. Bro found him the next morning in the bathroom, having hung himself with the shower curtain." Jake didn't reply, but he looked at you quite sadly, sympathetically.  
"S'okay, though. Rach came to the rescue." you reassured, and Jake's face grew back into a smile.  
And then you realised you'd just shared personal information with a dragon.  
Go figure.  
"Well, then I guess our families are both kind of interesting!" Jake shrugged, his tail waving side to side in the grass behind him. You watched it for a little while, admiring the pearlescent creamy coloured tip. It was made of three parts on each side, that twirled like hooks. "Are you admiring my tail?" Jake questioned, making you jump a little.  
"Sorry, am I being rude? Its just... kinda cool." you admit, with a sheepish smile.  
"You can touch it if you want." Jake offered, and you raised your eyebrows slightly.  
"Really?"  
"Sure."

You reach a hand out gingerly. You honestly hope you aren't being inappropriate, like it's part of some ancient mating ritual. Is it the dragon equivalent of grabbing someone's dick? You guess he'd have told you if it was perverted.  
"It's not going to bite you." Jake jokingly told you, noticing your hesitation. You were visibly shaking. Why were you so nervous? Taking a deep breath, you put a hand on the green scaly appendage - making Jake scream in what sounded like agony. You then screamed too, and Jake burst into laughter. Way to break the tension. You laughed too, less from relief, and more because of the fact he was laughing.  
"Asshole!" you breathed between bouts of giggling. You acutely noticed the prickles of the sharp scales under your palm. You could feel the muscles they were shielding tensing and relaxing as his tail swished over the grass.  
"I was wrong." you sighed.  
"About what?"  
"This isn't cool, it's fucking weird." you whispered, making Jake chuckle quietly.  
"You're weird too. What are those things on the end of your legs?" Jake replied.  
"My shoes." Dirk Strider, King Smartass.  
"Not your shoes you nitwit!" Jake grinned, " Under them. And not your socks!!!"  
"My feet?"  
"They're really odd." the dragonboy commented.  
"To you, they are. Just because you have some weird-ass feet going on. Where are your heels? Legs are only supposed to bend in one place!"  
"Two." Jake cut you off.  
"What?"  
"Legs bend in two places. Your hip and your knee. And your foot, actually. Three places." Jake then started talking to himself. "Or it that just part of your foot?" You closed your eyes suddenly, as the sun rang through them. Sunset.  
"Shit." you hissed, "The guys are going to want me back."  
"Does that mean you have to go?" Jake asked, sounding disappointed.  
"Yeah." you sighed, "But I can meet you here tomorrow. If you like?" Jake's face lit up.  
"Midday, alright?" he suggested, and you replied with a nod. You stood up, and so did he, flapping and stretching his wings.  
"Bye Dirk." he smiled quietly, and he lifted off the ground. He was out of sight within a minute. You watched him go.  
You smiled a lot around Jake. You liked him. 

You made your way back to the cabin, and you were met with Roxy. She was lying on a hammock, reading a book. Upon seeing you, her face lit up.  
"Whattup Di-Stri?" she slurred, picking herself up, "You sure like th' forest, huh?"  
"Yeah. It's nice. Helps me clear my head." you replied, remembering your promise to Jake.  
"As long as you aren't rollin' up the leaves an' smokin' them honey." Roxy replied.  
"Psch, please. Not like you haven't considered it." you retorted.  
"You know me too well, dearest." Roxy chuckled. Your 13 year old sister really was a loose cannon. You love her, though. Most definitely.  
"Come on. I feel like a tall drink of something cold. You want in?" she asked you, closing her book and sliding off the hammock.  
"Sure. I'll braid your hair and you can paint my toenails, it'll be the most girly shit ever, you have no idea." That made her chuckle, and she slung an arm around you as you walked into the cabin.  
Ah, Lalonde. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everybody loves roxy!


End file.
